Magecraft
Magecraft differs from sorcery by the defining fact that it is not magic, but rather it is inducing remnant magic from other sources. Although it may be referred to as magic, it exists as a form of manipulating the force that is magic. Magecraft is the art of combining different concepts and ingredients to create a pathway for to mana activate an effect. By creating a sequence of pathways either via artefacts or stored concepts, Mages can insert Mana into the chain and produce a reaction and a desired effect. Mana Mana is the energy of magic and it exists in all living things, and is needed to use magic and magecraft. Each living creature has an internal amount of Mana, without it they would be dead. Mana travels through a living creatures magical circuits, a system of pathways that disperse Mana throughout the body. Mana also naturally radiates from living creatures, but is also naturally absorbed from the environment. Creatures attuned to magic and magecraft can use mana to power; abilities, spells and artefacts. Ones Mana limit is usually undefined, although genetics do play a part in the structure and complexity of ones magical circuits, use and perseverance of Mana can cause more pathways to develop and increase ones capacity for Mana. Mana recharges naturally from the environment after depletion, and as it is tied to vitality the more Mana you use the weaker you will feel, but also the more Mana you channel will increase your physical attributes. However if you channel more Mana than your body can handle, it can cause severe damage, even death. Mana can be passed from a person to an object, from an object to a person and even between living creatures with the knowledge and ability to do so. This does tie to the third source of magic, Sacrifice. Mages Mages are different from Sorcerers by the very important fact that Mages cannot manifest effects. Sorcerers are attuned to the magic within their bodies and the magic present in their environment, that with their Mana they can create effects without a catalyst; without the use of artefacts or spells. Some Sorcerers are limited to very specific selection of abilities, but others have very few limits, the ability to manipulate True Magic. Mages on the otherhand possess the ability to channel Mana. By channeling Mana through their magical circuits into artefacts to prompt conceptual reactions, Mages have been able to gain abilities that almost mirror True Magic. True Magic True magic, the ability to affect reality, only exists from three sources. Once magic is obtained it can be used as is, or altered via magecraft for desired results. True magic exists and revolves around these three core roots. The First Source of Magic is Life. Life creates Mana, and as Mana creates vitality and vitality supports Mana they are intertwined. Everything alive has a spark of True Magic within them, and they pass that spark onto any children they have. To be born a mage is to have the ability to use your innate spark of magic to affect the magic in other things, by directing your Mana. When something does die, it loses its ability to hold and generate Mana. But the remains still contain pathways of magic and that can be used as an ingredient in magecraft. And when an external Mana source is introduced either from a mage or other source, the original pathways become activated and can even begin to draw in Mana from environment. For Example, a dragon bone cannot do anything by itself, but once mana has been channeled into it, it could be used as a crafting material in fire based magecraft or used to manifest fire as it has concept of fire tied to it's being. Due to is nature of being physical remains, when it has been activated by Mana it can draw in more Mana from the environment, reducing the strain on the user to produce whatever effect. Many Arma Major are made from the remains of magical creatures to take use of this ability. Although the remains of non-magical creatures can also absorb Mana from the environment, it is significantly different in scope. The Second Source of Magic is Mystery. Mystery is the culture of magic. As soon as something is regarded by anything alive, it gains Mystery. The Mana that comes from a living creature can be directed towards a target, this is the concept of magecraft, but even without conscious effort Mana still flows towards the object of consideration. This mystery, the idea of what it is, how it should be used, it's purpose, is a concept tied to that specific entity and over time each entity will have a slightly different mystery and be totally unique. An entity cannot lose Mystery it can only gain more and more over time, some could be forgotten, but the moment they are remembered that Mystery returns. Different views, beliefs and ideas can get layered onto an entity, the bigger and more widespread they are, the more prominence it has on the concepts stored within the entity. The older something is, the more time it has had to be regarded by other sentient beings, the more Mystery it has. Eventually depending on the entity when it reaches a certain level of Mystery, it can even start to store Mana, and is regarded as having some sort of sentience or internal desire built from its past. The ability to store and absorb Mana from the environment connects the entity to the first source of Magic, Life. For example a two hundred year old sword would carry the weight of it's past in it's steel. It would have been a tool of killing for so long, killed so many people and the intent of such be projected upon it by not only victims but the wielders. The concept of killing would be part of it's identity and would absorb mana from the environment to help it or it's user achieve that goal. It is for this reason that some Arma Major are made of Mysterious Objects that are old enough to produce their own mana. Most objects although they carry small amounts of Mystery still need an external Mana source to channel their innate concepts, as such they are a common crafting ingredient and Arma Minor. The Third Source of Magic is Sacrifice. The act something that already possesses some sliver of magic, whether it be the simple spark of life, Mystery cultivated over years or the ability of those blessed with True Magic, to give it up for something or someone else is powerful. Magic is a force of the universe, but is affected by those who live in it. To sacrifice something, you gain more ability to manifest destiny and affect reality. To sacrifice life or Mystery will grant magic larger than the sum of its parts to the reciever. To gain access to magic via sacrifice can either be very noble or very dark. It is effectively the recycling of magic to empower something else. A removal or replacement of life and or mystery. For example; If you were to sacrifice your blood, the Mana and magic you would gain would be greater than what was held within that blood. But it is the intent (connected to Mystery) that considers it a sacrifice. A sacrifice must be considered as such for it to propagate Magic.